Method of eliminating initial stretch of drive-chains.



E. F. MORSE, DEOD.

L. MORSE, EXEOUTBIX.

METHOD OF ELIMINATING INITIALYSTRETCH 0P DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.11, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 191i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

HHHHI ATTORY coumnm PLANOORAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D, c.

E. F. MORSE, DECD.

Y L. MORSE, EXEGUTRIX. METHOD'OP ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH 0P DRIVE CHAINS.

I APPLICATION FILED APR 11, 1913- I 1,086,838. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

4 SHBETs-BHEET 2.

WITNESSES I/VVE/VTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

E. F. MORSE, DECD.

L- MORSE, BXEOUTRIX. METHOD OF ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH 0F DRIVE CHAINS.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1913. 1,086,838. Patented Feb. 10, 1.914

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR W/ T/VES-SES 2 I W gm COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

E. F. MORSE, DEOD.

L. MORSE, EXEGUTEIX.

METHOD OF ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH 0F DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.11, 1913.

1,086,838. Patented Feb. 10, 1914,

' 4 BHEETS-SHEET 4.

n I. i w? 4745' 46 ,v [ill & 44 g WITNESS/E8 MW I A770 EV A IlITE STAS EPAEhlT I FIQE.

EVERETT F. MORSE, OF ITHAGA, NEW YORK; LOUISE MORSE EXECUTBJIX OF SAID EVERETT F. MORSE, DECEASED.

METHOD OE ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH OF DRIVE-CHAINS.

menses.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EVERETT F. Monsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods for Eliminating Initial Stretch of Drive-Chains, of which improvement the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of drive chains, and more particularly that type known as multiplate drive chains for transmitting power, in which each link is formed of a plurality of arch shaped plates interspersed upon the pintles with the plates of adjacent links, it is the practice to manufacture the link plates by stamping or punching the same from a thin metal strip, and also to form the apertures for the pintles and bushings by punching the desired shaped openings in the ends of said plates. The bearing surface of the apertures thus formed by punching the plates is necessarily not as smooth as a machined surface and may have minute projections or roughness which engage the surface of the pins or bushings forming the pintle parts, when they are inserted in the aper tures. WVhen the chain is thus assembled and started running, the first wear which occurs between the pintle parts and the link plates is the pounding down of these minute projections due to the successive applica tions of stresses or hammer like blows between the pins and their bearing surfaces in the apertures whereby the pins or pintle parts soon become firmly embedded in their seats and bear uniformly upon the surface of the apertures. lVhile these projections are very minute, being only a small fraction of an inch, for example less than one thousandth of an inch, still this amount is sufficient when multiplied, as it is, by the number of joints in the chain, to produce a material lengthening which is termed the initial stretch of the chain. This preliminary stretching 0r lengthening of the pitch of the chain is particularly objectionable as it occurs at the beginning of the use of the chain, and the lengthening from this cause does not continue to increase after the pintle parts become firmly embedded in their seats in the apertures of the link plates.

The object of my invention is to eliminate this initial stretch in drive chains, and it consists in subjecting the links of the chain Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 11, 1913.

Patented Feb. 1%,1914. Serial No. 760,365.

to stresses applied to the edges of the plates forming the links, and in substantially the same longitudinal direction that the stresses are transmitted through the oints when the chain is operating under actual conditions of service, whereby the plates are driven against the hardened pintle parts with sufficient force to pound down all the minute projections and press the parts home as it is termed, that is, to a position in which the pintle parts are firmly seated with a uniform bearing in the apertures of the plates. In order that the stresses as thus applied may be effective and yet not suificiently great to break, weaken, or otherwise injure the chain, they may be applied in the form of a series of rapid vibrations or blows successively exerted upon the plates, the effective force of each blow or application of stress being adjustable, and continued until the desired result is produced.

Various forms of apparatus may be designed to carry out my invention, which is not limited to any particular construct-ion, but I have illustrated the improved method in connection with an apparatus having a spreading device adapted to be inserted into the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain to engage the edges of the link plates, and exert a stress longitudinally of the chain in the same direction as the stresses are transmitted through the plates and pintle parts when the chain is running in actual service, the back or outside of the links being supported by a base or head. In order to apply the stresses in the form of rapid vibrations or blows, one of the parts, preferably the base or head portion may be rapidly reciprocated or vlbrated through a short traverse toward and from the other member and thereby exert a series of stresses or blows in rapid succession upon the edges of the link plates.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus embodying my improvement; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4; Fig. 8, a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section showing the clutch device and the driving gear connection; Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a plan of the spreading device, the operating pitlnan therefor being indicated in horizontal section; Fig. 6, a vertical section of the spreading device taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and showing the same inserted into the arched recesses of the links in operative position; Fig. 7, a similar view showing the spreading device withdrawn from its engagement with the links of the chain in its inoperative position in which the chain may be shifted to bring another set of links beneath the spreading device; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view of the clutch device; Fig. 9, a sectional view of the same taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, an elevation illustrating a modified form of spreading device; and Fig. 11, a section of the same taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

According to the construction shown in the drawings, the apparatus comprises a frame, 12, which may be supported in any suitable manner, and having a horizontal flange or bench, 13, and a vertically projecting portion, ll, in which is journaled the shaft, 15, carrying the driving gear, 16, at one end and a crank or eccentric, 17, at the other end, on which is pivotally connected the pitman, 18. The multi-plate drive chain, 26, from which the initial stretch is to be eliminated, is supported in a straight horizontal position upon the bench, 13, and is adapted to be shifted longitudinally from one position to another as desired, beneath the spreading device which may be constructed of two jaws, 19 and 20, pivoted in the form of a toggle, at the lower end of the pitman, 18. These jaws may be formed with alternate lugs, 21, extending more than one half the distance around the pin portion, 22, at the lower end of the pitman, and also have thin plates, 23, secured uponthe opposite ends of the jaws and entirely surrounding the pin, in order that the jaws may be securely supported on said pin, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, of the drawin The ends of the toggle jaws are suitably formed to be inserted into the arched shaped. recesses of the links upon the inner side of the chain, and to engage the edges of the plates forming the links in a similar manner to a tooth of a sprocket wheel, and as the pitman reaches its lowest position, the ends of the toggle jaWs exert a powerful stress or blow, longitudinally in opposite directions, against the edges of the link plates in the same direction that the stresses are transmitted through the joints of the chain when the same is running in actual service. These impulses or blows have the effect of pounding the plates against the pins or pintle parts of the joints, thereby eliminating the minute projections in the apertures of the plates, and forcing the parts home to a smooth and approximately uniform bearing between the pintle parts and the link plates of the chain. For the purpose of guiding the spreading device in its vertical movement, the pin, 22, may engage a block, 25, sliding vertically in guides, 24.

The downward component of the stress applied to the spreading device is resisted by the support for the chain links upon the opposite side, and in order that the stress or force may be applied in the form of a series of impulses or blows exerted in rapid succession, one of said parts, preferably the support, may be given a rapid vibratory or reciprocating motion toward and from the other part. As shown in the drawing, the bench or flange, 13, is provided with a reciprocating head, 27, which supports the chain links opposite the spreading device, and is pivotally mounted on the toggle links, 28 and 29, pivot-ally connected at the center to a pitman, 30, driven from a crank or eccentric, 31, on a shaft, 32, having a pulley, 38, (see Fig. 1) for driving the same continuously. The head, 27 is thus caused to vibrate or reciprocate rapidly through a very short traverse thereby exerting a series of impulses or blows in rapid succession, and subjecting the edges of the link plates to a rapid pounding action while the spread.-. ing device is in its lowest position. It will be understood that the shaft, 32, with the crank, 31, pitman, 30, and vibrating head, 27, are driven continuously by means of the pulley, 38, but that the spreading device is raised and lowered periodically, it being retained in its lowest position as long as desired by the operator, and then raised for allowing the chain to be shifted to its next position.

For the purposeof varying the force of the impulses and for adjusting the parts for different sizes of chains, the guide block, 33, to which the link, 29, is pivoted at its lower end is mounted to slide vertically in guides in the frame and may be adjusted by means of the differential screw, 34.

Any suitable or preferred form of mechanism may be employed for rotating the shaft, 15, and crank, 17, periodically for inserting and withdrawing the spreading device, but as shown in the drawings, the gear, 16, is driven with a velocity ratio of one to two by a gear, 35, on a shaft, 36, having a pulley, 37, which may be driven continuously in any suitable manner. The pulley, 37, and the gear, 35, may be loosely mounted upon the shaft with suitable means for preventing longitudinal movement, and have a one revolution clutch for connecting the same together. Such a construction may comprise a sliding bolt, 39, mounted in a slot in the wheel, 35, with a spring, 40, tending to throw said bolt into its locked position in the notch or recess, 41', in the hub of the pulley, 37, and also having a lateral projection, 42, at its opposite end. This projection is provided with a beveled face adapted to engage a corresponding face on the end of the sliding latch, 43, which is mounted in a socket in the bracket, 44, and operated by a bell crank lever, 45, in any suitable manner, a spring, 46, normally holding said latch in its extended position. A pivoted dog, 47, is adapted to engage a notch in the plate, 48, secured to the gear, 35, to stop the same at the desired point, the dog having a pin and slot connection, 49, with the latch, all as more particularly shown in Figs. 3, 8, and 9 of the drawings. The latch in its extended position is adapted to engage the sliding bolt and hold the same withdrawn into the slot in the gear, 35, so that the pulley, 37, may run freely without turning the driving gears. A friction band, 50, may be applied to a hub on the gear, 16, if desired.

Then it is desired to raise or lower the spreading device, the bell crank lever, 45, is operated by a foot treadle, or otherwise, thereby withdrawing the latch, 43, raising the dog, 47, out of the notch, and releasing the sliding bolt, 39, which is instantly forced into its locked position by the spring, 40. The gears, 35 and 16, then begin to revolve, and the latch returns to its extended position. \Vhen the gear, 35, has made one revolution, the beveled face of the projection, 42, engages the end of the latch, thereby withdrawing the clutch bolt to disengage the gear 35, from the pulley at the same time that the pivoted dog, 47, enters the notch in the plate, 48, and arrests further movement of the gears. As these gears are of the ratio of two to one, the gear, 16, makes one half of a revolution, while the gear, 35, makes a complete revolution, and the pitman, 18, is thus raised to its elevated position indicated in Fig. 7 whereupon the drive chain may be shifted either automatically, or by any suitable means, to its next position. The clutch is then again operated and the pitman with the spreading device is again lowered into its operative position in which the edges of the chain links are subjected to a rapid pounding action by the vibratory motion of the head, 27. This operation is then repeated until all the joints of the chain have been treated by the spreading or pounding action for firmly seating the pintle parts in their bearings in the apertures of the link plates, thereby eliminating the initial stretch from the drive chain.

Various forms of spreading devices may be designed for use in connection with this improvement, and in Figs. 10 and 11, I have shown one such modification, in which an inverted U shaped metal bar, 51, is employed, the lower ends of which are formed in the desired shape to serve as the jaws for being inserted into the recesses of the links of the chain, and engage the edges of the link plates. The lower ends of the legs of the bar are provided with inclined surfaces upon the inside, for cooperating with the wedge bar, 52, which is concave at its upper end for engaging the crank, 17 Springs, 53, are located between lugs, 54, on the jaws, and lugs, 55, upon the wedge bar for holding the wedge bar normally up against the crank. \Vhen the crank is turned to its upper position, the jaws are raised out of engagement with the links of the chain, and when turned to its lower or operative position, the jaws are inserted into the recesses of the links, and the wedge bar is driven down by the crank, thereby exerting a wedging action upon the jaws and thrusting the same laterally in opposite directions against the link plates, the spring bar, 51, being sufficiently elastic to permit or" this spreading movement. The action upon the link plates is substantially the same as before described in connection with the other form of jaws, as will be readily understood.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, which consists in subjecting the links of the chain to stresses applied to the edges of the plates forming the links, and in the same longitudinal direction that the stresses are transmitted when the chain is running in actual service.

2. The method of eliminating initial stretch fro-n1 multi-plate drive chains, which consists in subjecting; the links of the chain to stresses applied to the edges of the plates forming the links, said stresses being exerted in the form of a series of impulses or blows in rapid succession.

3. The method of eliminating initial stretch from Inulti-plate drive chains, which consists in subjecting the links of the chain to stresses applied to the edges of the plates forming the links, said stresses being exerted in the formof a series of impulses or blows delivered in rapid succession longitudinally of the links.

4. The method of eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, consisting in applying stresses to the edges of the link plates at separate joints in opposite directions longitudinally in the form of a series of impulses or blows delivered in rapid succession.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EVERETT F. MORSE. l/Vitnssses:

E. B. RUMsnY, M. E. HOLMES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

